


Little Lion

by itsreallyhardtopickthese



Series: Drabbles [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Sorry Not Sorry, What Have I Done, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-13 16:37:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18472861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsreallyhardtopickthese/pseuds/itsreallyhardtopickthese
Summary: The Citizens of the Red Keep are not the only ones being watched. The Little Lion knows what it means to be on guard even from her own family, especially from her own family.





	Little Lion

Despite her warm smiles and pleasant laugh, they still whisper behind her back. They stop speaking to one another when she comes near, afraid of her. Her who has done nothing but be friendly with all who inhabit the Red Keep. It is her name, Lannister, they whisper it like a curse.

  
When King Robert was alive, they simply looked at her as another Lannister Cousin. One of the Cousins who had been shipped from the Rock to the Red Keep as a plaything for the Queen. When the King dies suddenly, and Joffrey is crowned King they take notice of the Lannister’s in the Red Keep. She is no longer only a plaything for the Queen but now she is a spy.

  
When King Joffrey beheads Lord Stark she is in the front row and they watch her, watch for anything that might signal that she is not one of them. She holds her head high though, keeps the bile from crawling up her throat. The Queen laughs about the ceremony after, at the way that the Lady Sansa pleaded for her Father’s life. She knows the truth though, knows that the Queen had been against killing Lord Stark. King Joffrey is a boy-King, a boy who should not have been crowned.

  
As the King begins to digress, as his deeds become more unhinged, she is watched warily. They think she will whisper to her Queen of the things they say, that their deeds will get back to the King and they will meet a similar fate as Lord Stark. However, when she is not with the Queen, not with her Cousins she is sitting with Lady Sansa. Lady Sansa is a true Lady, she decides. More beautiful than the Queen who sneers at all and drinks until she must retire to her rooms in fear of saying something she might regret. Lady Sansa is gentle, she is broken but her wings are not cut. When King Joffrey abuses her in front of the Court she does not flinch, the Red Keep might think that she watches them but in truth she is the one who has eyes upon her.

  
When the Battle of the Blackwater happens and King Stannis is at their gates they are taken to a room, one where the Queen has as much wine as she can stomach and there are guards at every door. The Ladies of the Keep whimper like children and Cersei mocks them. Lady Sansa is near, stoic in the face of fear and she takes great comfort in her. When the Queen is busy with her drinking and Lady Sansa has disappeared, she takes her leave, Cersei may notice her absence but by the time she does it will be too late. She doesn’t intend to leave, not the Keep anyway. There is a battle happening and King Stannis may still win but she will not wait where she might be killed by the Queen’s own men.

  
“You must take her with you” she whispers to the Hound when she sees him returning to the Keep. Smoke is coming in great grey blobs in the sky, coating every inch of the Red Keep. He looks to her like he does not know her, like she was not brought here as just a little girl with big dreams of becoming a true Lady like her Cousin the Queen.

  
“What of you Little Lion” he asks, and she laughs a high bitter thing. She looks wildly around, fire burns in the distance and she cannot imagine all who have died.

“I will be fine, trust me. Take the Lady Stark” she tells him once more pinning him with a long stare. He holds it, long and hard until she feels like she can’t breathe with eyes that burn from the smoke she lies to herself.

  
“Stay alive, Little Lion” he tells her in a quiet rasp before he is turning and rushing down the corridor. She watches him until she can’t see him anymore, until her only hope of escape has vanished and with it any hope at all getting away from the Lannister hold.

  
“I will” she whispers to no one at all.


End file.
